Collar



Feb. 21,1939. B. F. MCCREERY COLLAR Filed Feb. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 21, 1939.

B. F. M CREERY COLLAR Filed Feb. 12, 1537 '2 Sheet-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PAT OFFICE.

COLLAR Benjamin McQreery, Glens Falls, NY. Application February 12, 1937-, Serial No. 125,366

2 Claims.

My invention relates to. a new and improved turn-down collar.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a collar which can be either starched or starchless and which may be stiffened or unstiffened.

Another object of my invention is to, make an improved collar of the type in which either the neckband of the collar, or the top (front member) of the collar, or both of them, have been stiffened by the use of certain well known cellulose derivatives or other materials.

The neckband and the top of the collar may be of any suitable construction and if desired, either the neckband or the top, or both, can have linings which include yarns. made of cellulose or cellulose derivatives or other suitable materials and which are used for giving the necessary stiffness to the collar. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved construction on the fold-line of the collar so that a neat and uniform fold is always secured.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved cord construction for thispurpose.

Other objects will be set, forth in the following description and drawings which illustrate several embodiments thereof. The drawings are substantially to scale. I Fig. 1 is an elevation showing the neckband of the collar and the top of the collar laid flat.

This shows the front side or fair side of the collar.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the 3 inner or reverse side of the collar, a part of the representation of the neckband having been omitted, in order to show the cord construction more clearly.

Fig. 3 shows a detail view of a part of Fig. 2, 40 the plies or cloth layers of the neckband being shown in separated position, in order to show the cord construction.

Fig. 4 is a central sectional view of the collar, with the top and the neckband substantially abutting each other.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, and showing a first modification.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, and showing a second modification.

50 Fig. '7 is another view similar to Fig. 5, and

showing a third modification.

Fig. 8 is another view generally similar to Fig. 5, and showing a fourth modification.

The collar has a neckband N and a top T 55 which are made and stitched in any suitable manner. As shown in Fig. 4, I prefer to make the neckband from three layers of fabric, and also to. make the top or front member of the collar from three layers of fabric.

The neckband comprises outer layers of cloth 5 I and Ia, and an intermediate lining member 2. T This lining member 2 may be woven of any suite able material which is stiffer than layers I and la. The ining memb need not be stiffer h n ers I and la. Layers I and Id of the neckband 10 m y e woven cot ma r al, d t i i mem er 2 0f th h c ban ma e ff W v material, although this is not necessary. Layers I and l may be stiffer than lining member 2. i li i g m m e 2 may be wov n w olly or 5 partiallyfrom yarns made of cellulose acetate or the like, so that the lining member 2 can be connected to. the cloth layer I or to cloth layer Ia or to both layers l and la by means of heat and pressure, thus stiffening the neckb and of 20 the collar. Under such conditions the lining member becomes substantially integral with either o t e layers I or Ia, or with both said layers, since the cellulose acetete fuses under proper conditions, when heat and pressure are 95 applied, The use of linings woven in whole or T in part. from yarns made of cellulose derivatives is well-known. I

Fig. 4 shows the stitching omitted at the bottom edge of the neckband N, but it is to be un- 30 derstood that the bottom edges of the neckband layers may be connected by stitches in the well known manner, if the collar is to be used as a separate collar.

Likewise, the invention applies to. collars which are attached to shirts, so that Fig. 4 represents the collar before. it. is attached to the body of a shirt.

The top T also consists of outer layers of woven fabric 3 and 3a, and a stiffening lining member 4. Said lining member-4 may be made like member 2. Lining member 4 may be made of woven fabric having spaced yarns made of cellulose acetate or the like, as is well known in the art.

It may be fused either to layer 3 or to layer 3a, or to both layers 3 and 3a, as stated previously. The lining member 4 may be stiffer than layers 3 and 3a, or the stiffness of lining member 4 may be equal t9, or less than, the stiffness of layers 3 and 3a.

As shown in Fig. 4 I prefer that the fold portion of the top T should be free from the lining member 4, by making the height of the lining m r 4 sufiloie t s a r th s pu p e- I-Ience, the fold portion of the top T consists Sub-.-

stantially of the woven cloth layers 3 and 3a, which are preferably free from any stiffening material or ingredient, so that the fold portion of the top T has little or nostiffness. I do not wish to be limited to a stiffened collar. Likewise any stiffening ingredient can be added to or incorporated in the neckband and/or front member T, instead of using a lining.

Likewise, I prefer that the upper edges of the cloth layers I and la of the neckband should be bent inwardly or downwardly as shown in Fig. 4 and the height of the lining member 2 may be made sufficiently small so that the downwardly bent edges of the flexible cloth layers I and la are substantially adjacent the top of the stiffening lining member 2. The inwardly bent edge portions of the cloth layers I and la have preferably little or no stiffness.

The top T and the neckband N are connected to each other by two vertically spaced rows of stitches 5 and 5a. The stitches 5 are not visible at the outside surfaces of the cloth layers I or la. The stitches 5a are visible at the outside surfaces of the cloth layers I and Ia. That is, the stitches 5 pass only through the inwardly turned edge-portions of the cloth layers I and Ia and the intermediate part of the top T, and the stitches 5a pass through the layers I and la, including their inwardly turned top portions, and through the intermediate part of top T.

The stitches 5 and 5a are above the top edge of the stiffening lining member 2, or above the stiffened part of the neckband, if a stiffened collar is desired. The top edge portion of the stiffening lining 2 may be connected to the cloth layer I, by means of a line of stitches 6, which are located below stitches 5a.

Likewise the top edge portion of the stiffening lining 4 of the top T may be connected to the cloth layer 3a by means of aline of stitches I, which pass through layer.3a and are invisible at the outside surface of the cloth layer 3.

As shown in Fig. 4, the bottom edges of the cloth layers 3 and 3a, and of the stiffening lining 4, are bent inwardly and upwardly.

The six layers of cloth which are thus formed at the bottom edge portion of the top T are connected by the through-and-through stitches 8 which are visible at the outside surfaces of the layers 3 and 3a. The inwardly turned edge portions of said layers 3 and 3a and 4 are connected by a line of stitches 9, which are not visible at the outside surfaces of the cloth layers 3 and 3a.

The cord or other fold-forming member C is located in the fold portion of the neckband N, near and above the top edge of the stiffening lining member 2. Said cord C is held in position by means of the lines of stitches 5 and 5a. In actual construction and in practical use, the cord C is located near the top edge of the folded collar, and it defines the fold line of the collar. The construction shown in Fig. 4 is somewhat diagrammatic in this respect in order to illustrate the parts more clearly. I

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the line of stitches 8 extends along three of the edges of the top T. The line of stitches 5a extends along three of the edges of the neckband N.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-4 the stitches 5a skip the cord ,0 and said stitches 5a are located directly below the cord C.

In making the collar, the layers 3 and 3a of the top T are inserted between the edge portions of the layers I and Ia, and said edge portions of the layers I and la are connected to the adjacent portions of the layers 3 and 311, by means of the stitches 5.

The cord C is then placed in position so as to overlie stitches 5, and the stitches 5a are made so as to retain the cord C tightly in position, althrough the stitches 5 and 5a skip the cord C.

The stitches 5 and 5a, which may be lock stitches or chain stitches, in effect form a tube, together with the cloth layers, as shown in Fig. 4, and the cord C is held tightly and frictionally in said tube.

If desired, the ends of the cord C may be stitched to the neckband N, although this is not necessary. The ends of the cord C preferably do not project in the neckband N, beyond the side edges of the top T, so that the stiffening and foldforming effect of the cord is confined to the foldportion of the collar. However, the ends of cord C can project in the neckband beyond the side edges of the top of said neckband to any desired extent, up to the bottom edge of the neckband.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 5 is the same as that illustrated in Figs. 1-4, save that the stitches 5a, which are ordinary stitches, are replaced by elastic zig-zag stitches III, which pass over the cord C, thus skipping the cord, but holding cord C frictionally and tightly in position.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the cord C has been omitted and it has been replaced by an equivalent stitch construction II. This stitch construction II is made with the use of a chain stitch machine which employs two threads. A heavy thread is used in making the loops of the stitch, thus producing the equivalent of a cord. The stitch II is formed simultaneously with the banding operation, that is, during the operation of connecting the neckband N to the top T.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, the stitches 5a have been omitted as the improved stitches II replace the cord C and the stitches 5a.

Fig. 7 is substantially the same as Fig. 6, save that Fig. 7 showsthe stitches 5a applied over the stitches I I, so as to produce a reinforced construction.

Fig. 8 shows a modification in which the stiflening lining 2 of the neckband is made of sufficient height, so that the top edge portion of said lining is turned inwardly, together with the layers I and la.

The cord C or its equivalent is stiffer than the flexible fold portion of the top T. Likewise, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the stiffened part of the neckband is below said cord C or its equivalent. provides a fold-defining rib at the top of the fold, when the collar is worn.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the cord C is directly adjacent the inner layer Ia, being located between the body of said layer Ia, and the inwardly folded top edge-portion thereof. If desired, said cord C could be located between the body of layer I and the inwardly folded top edge-portion thereof.

The cord C or the equivalent stitches may be designated as a fold-defining rib-member. Said rib member is sufiiciently bendable to permit the collar to be bent freely around the neck so as to form a smooth and uniform fold around the neck of the wearer.

The lining members can be made of cotton fabric which is heavier and stiffer than the outside cotton layers. I can use any materials in making the collar or the parts thereof. The

Hence the cord C or its equivalent lining may have the same weight and stiffness, 75

or even less weight and stiffness than the other layers of the collar. Likewise, the lining or linings may be omitted.

The cord C can be made of flexible and nonbreakable spun glass.

I have shown preferred embodiments of my invention but it is clear that numerous changes and omissions could be made without departing from its spirit.

I claim:

1. A collar having a neckband and a top each of which comprises a plurality of layers of fabric, said top having inturned portions of its fabric layers located between and stitched to the fabric layers of the neckband, the upper part of the top comprising the fold portion of the collar, said neckband having a fold-defining rib-member directly connected to its upper edge edge-portion and. below the top edge thereof by stitches which pass through the material of the neckband above and below said rib-member, and which skip said rib-member, said rib-member being located between the body of one of the fabric layers of the neckband and the inturned edge of said fabric layer.

2. A turn-down collar having a neckband and a turn-down top, said neckband and said top each having a plurality of layers of fabric, the fabric layers of the neckband having main body portions and also having inturned portions located between the top edges of said body portions, the fabric layers of the top having inturned portions which are located between the inturned portions of the fabric layers of the neckband, the inturned portions of the fabric layers of the top being stitched to the inturned portions of the fabric layers of the neckband and also to the body portions of the layers of the neckband, the upper part of the top of the collar being the fold portion of the collar and being more bendable than the rest of said top and being more bendable than the neckband, said neckband having a folddefining rib-member connected thereto and located below and directly adjacent the fold portion of the collar when the top of the collar is in the turn-down position, said rib-member being located intermediate the body portion of one of the fabric layers of the neckband and the inturned portion of the last-mentioned fabric layer of the neckband.

BENJAMIN F. MCCREERY. 

